The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-04-13
The ST. AUGUSTINE CATHEDRAL.
Fire Sweeps Through the Ancient
Spanish Building.
ONLY THE PILLARS OF THE SLAVE
MARKET NOW STANDING.
old Planters Motel Destroyed Nearly
an Entire Block Burned.

At $3.50 o'clock yesterday morning the
st. Augustine Hotel, on corner of
Cathedral and Charlotte streets, in st.
Augustine, was discovered to be in flames,
the fire having originated in the laun-
dry, just i'm rear of the bake room. The
immense frame building was like a tin
der box, and the flames spread very
rapidly.
Although the alarm was promptly
sounded, so rapid was the spread of the
flames that the seventy-six guests asleep
in the house barely had time to escape
with their lives, and most of them lost
everything they had with them. There
was no effort made by the guests to dress
before leaving the building, and fright
ened and shrieking women, and excited
men rushed out, some with valuables
or clothing in their hands and
others thankful to gain the street
with whole bodies. One young lady
jumped from a second-story window to
the ground in her night dress. and
miraculously escaped injury. Others
were detained from making similar reck-
less leaps only by cooler-headed com
panions interfering.
The only life known to be lost in the
fire was that of a poor, panic-stricken
servant girl, who was forcibly taken
from the house three different times by
men who braved the dangers of the
flames to save her. She was perfectly
frantic, and rushing into the burning
building for the fourth time, she was
quickly beyond the reach of human aid
and met a miserable death. Portions of
her body and the charred bones
forty feet from where she entered the
building. Her name was Bridget Barry.
WAS SHE LOST?
A la@ guest, whose name could not
he learned, refused to leave her bed
when told of the fire, and a gentleman
picked her up with sheet wrapped
around her body and tried to carry her
out. She fought him desperately and,
ON reaching the second floor, managed
tn free herself and run away through the
corridors. Whether she perished or not
was not known when THE NEWS repOr-
ter left the ground.
The st. Augustine Hotel was a very
large and elegantly furnished house, val
ued at about S75, 200, on which there was
but little insurance. We learn that in
surance policies amounting $27 900 ex-
pired ON Sunday last, leaving, from the
best information we could get, $50 900
ON house and furniture. 1t was the
property of Capt. E. f. Vail, ON whom
the loss falls very heavily.
THE OLD CATHEDRAL.
The new two-story building belong
ing to the First National Bank of st.
Augustine was the next building To
take fire. This building was just near
ing completion. 1t was built of coauina
rock, and was valued at about xf2. 900.
From the bank the flames, famed by
the strong northeast wind, Tapped over
10 the old Catholic Cathedral, just to the
west, and although heroic efforts were
made to save the historical old buildino,
it soon fell a victim to the fire. Nearly
all the furniture and valuables were
saved from the church except the large
picture OF the landing of Ponce de Leon,
which was placed high up ON the walls.
and there We're no means at hand for
reaching it, The Catholic Bishops resi-
dence, standing on the corner lust west
ot the Cathedral, escaped serious injury,
and stayed the flames from making fur
ther progress in that direction
While these buildings We're burning it
was impossible for any one to pass
through Cathedral street. The fence
around the Plaza was quickly burned.
and the roof of the so-called old Slave
Market soon followed. the heat being
80 intense at that point that the firemen
We're unable to do any work of conse-
quence. Great fears We're entertained
at this time for the safety of the build
ings ON the south side of the Plaza, as
the dense smoke and sparks were al
mo4 hiding them from view. A free
use of water and wet blankets. however.
prevented any of the houses from taking
fire.
SPREADING NORTHwARD.
The flames then spread back to the
north, up Charlotte street and the Bay.
quickly enveloping the five coquina and
frame buildings belonging to VIM. Sim
clair, burning all of them to the ground
IN a very short time. entailing loss of
some 100000. One of thes.. buildings
was occupied by Benhoyan & Gonzales.
whose loss ON stock amounted to- 81 900
Another was occupied by A. o. Bucks
restaurant, with his residence facing the
bay. His loss ON stock. fixtures and
furniture will not be less than - 200.
Dr. Speiseger's drug store was adjoining,
and fronting ON the Bay. DIR. Vedder's
curiosity store was also in this block of
buildings and he lost heavily by the fire.
just south of this the little fruit store
was consumed, entailing loss of some
$500 ON the owner. The Chinese restau-
rant, but lately refitted and furnished.
was also among the buildings destroyed
IN tins quarter. The Chinese loss was
$1,000 in furniture and fixtures.
The coquina store rooms and residence
of Mrs. Carr, on the bay, Just alongside
the Sinclair property, were next envel-
oped by the flames. Mrs. Carr,s loss was
about 5000 Back ON Charlotte street
the frame store room of Mrs. Carr was
also burned, the loss being about Il 900.
Mr.. Chamberlain had his grocery store
IN this building, where he carried a very